My name is David Sparks and I joined UTeach Arlington and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction as Visiting Assistant Professor of Science Education in 2013. In September 2015, I will begin a Tenure-Track appointment in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

I am a 21-year veteran science and instructional technology teacher. After teaching middle school science from 1992-1999, I began teaching at the high school level. From 1999-2013, I taught Physical Science, Integrated Physics and Chemistry, Biology, Pre-AP Biology, Physics, Anatomy and Physiology, Environmental Science, and AP Environmental Science. During that time, I also taught Business Computer Information Systems (BCIS) and Dual Credit BCIS for four years. As a college instructor, I taught an Educational Technology course in the spring of 2009 at Texas A&M University-Texarkana and A+ Computer Maintenance at Texarkana College. I have worked with Ashford University as an Associate Instructor since July of 2012, teaching five different courses in the Educational Technology and Design department.

For the 2012-2013 school year, I taught in Hope, Arkansas at the Hope Academy of Science and Technology, which allows students to have laptop computers and is centered around Project-Based Learning. The experience of working in a PBL school was a great learning experience, and it has helped solidify my commitment to inquiry-based learning and constructivist teaching styles in Science Education.

My research is focused on three distinct areas: (1) collaborative learning structures that strengthen both learning and diversity in STEM education, (2) intersectionality of race, gender, and identity in STEM students, and (3) environmental sustainability as a context and catalyst for learning in STEM classrooms.

  • 2013 Texas A&M University-Commerce Ed.D., Supervision, Curriculum, and Instruction-Higher Education
  • 2005 Texas A&M University-Texarkana M.S., Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in Science Education and Instructional Technology
  • 1990 Texas A&M University B.S., Scientific Nutrition

Link to Research Profile
Office: Science Hall, Room 322F
E-Mail: david.sparks@uta.edu

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